Overshadowed
by Pikafuey
Summary: Full and detailed summary inside. Rated T just to be safe, though only for some mild gore.
1. Summary & Allegiances

**A/N: **Hiya! Pikafuey (or Pika for short) here! It's been a while since I've shared my stories here, but I wanted to share this 'fic because I'm very proud of it so far! (:

It has a rather dark concept, but I think it's something a lot of _Warrior Cats_ fanfiction don't have. I have tried to make this story interesting, and any feedback or critiques would be great! Either way, below is the full summary and the allegiances. The Prologue will be on the next post. Hope you guys enjoy! : D

* * *

_"Who you are now is what defines you, not what you were. Leave the past behind, because your future is so much brighter."_

LightClan and DarkClan have been under siege with a powerful group of rouges for many moons. Their leader—a clever and powerful tom named, Jiro—leads attacks on the Clans during every full moon. Jiro is a ruthless cat with no morals, killing even kits if they stand in his way. However, one fateful night, all of this changes. Jiro is slain by an unknown cat and peace is brought to the forest, and Jiro's band of rogues flee. During this, a she-cat delivers three kits into the world of LightClan. One kit, a tom strikingly similar to Jiro, is born to this she-cat. The tom is named Shadekit, and raised in the Clan ways. Nearing the end of his apprenticeship, Shadepaw begins to have reoccurring nightmares of being brutally slain by a shadow cat-like figure. Not long after, Shadepaw meets a mysterious black tom named Zen.

Little by little, Shadepaw's true nature begins to rear up as Zen begins to disrupt the two everyone begins to doubt Shadepaw, and the Clans start to turn on him, the young apprentice must flee. What Shadepaw doesn't know, is that sometimes the past comes back to haunt you—even if from a previous life.

* * *

**Allegiances**

**LightClan**

**Leader: **Brightstar- Tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws. Has amber eyes and a large nick in her left ear.

**Deputy:** Thornpelt- Muscular dark brown tom with blue eyes.

_**Apprentice: **Rowanpaw_

**Medicine Cat:** Snowfeather- Small gray-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes.

_** Apprentice:** Sunpaw_

**Warriors:**

**Sedgewing**- Ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**Dustfall**- Dark gray tom with darker gray specks along back. Has dark green eyes and a scar across his right eye.

_** Apprentice:** Shadepaw_

**Raincloud**- Gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.

**Tigerfur**- Dark brown tabby tom with silver eyes.

_**Apprentice:** Furzepaw_

**Lostwhisker**- Cream colored she-cat with almost no whiskers. Has hazel eyes.

_** Apprentice:** Tinderpaw_

**Ceaderheart**- Golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

_** Apprentice:** Mudpaw_

**Apprentices:**

**Shadepaw**- Dark gray tabby tom with light gray paws. Has dark blue eyes.

**Rowanpaw**- Dark ginger she-cat with a white puff on her chest. Has brown eyes.

**Sunpaw**- Orange tabby tom with white paws. Has green eyes.

**Furzepaw**- Tan she-cat with light tabby stripes. Has brown eyes.

**Tinderpaw**- Black tom with yellow eyes.

**Mudpaw**- Dark brown she-cat with light brown flecks. Has silver eyes.

**Queens:**

**Whiteflower**- Pure white she-cat with bright blue eyes. (Mate to Dustfall. Mother to Brackenkit and Jaykit.)

**Willowcloud**- Long-haired light brown she-cat with amber eyes. (Mate to Thornpelt. Mother to Owlkit, Icekit, and Mousekit.)

**Darkmist**- Darker gray she-cat with dark green eyes. (Mate to Tigerfur. Mother to Fernkit and Nightkit.)

**Elders:**

**Swiftwind**- Old reddish-brown tom with blind blue eyes.

**Mistystorm**- Light gray she-cat with silver eyes. Has a crippled back leg.

**Goldenblaze**- Magnificent golden tabby she-cat with blazing green eyes.

* * *

**DarkClan**

**Leader:** Duskstar- Large silver-and-white tabby tom with a large scar across his chest. Has yellow eyes.

**Deputy:** Redfrost- Dark red she-cat with ice blue eyes.

_** Apprentice:** Blackpaw_

**Medicine Cat:** Ashwing- Black tom with gray variations. Has dark blue eyes.

_** Apprentice:** Sootpaw_

**Warriors:**

**Rippleclaw**- White-and-black tom with silver eyes.

**Runningheather**- Lithe light brown tom with blue eyes.

_**Apprentice:** Snowpaw_

**Leafshimmer**- Brown-and-white she-cat with piercing green eyes.

**Bramblefrost**- Long-haired ginger-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

_**Apprentice: **Crowpaw_

**Mothflight**- White (with dark gray ears) she-cat with brown eyes.

_**Apprentice:** Mosspaw_

**Brackenstripe**- Tan (with a large brown stripe) tom with yellow eyes.

_**Apprentice:** Oakpaw_

**Apprentices:**

**Blackpaw**- Black she-cat with bright yellow eyes.

**Sootpaw**- Fluffy gray she-cat with hazel eyes.

**Snowpaw**- White tom with amber eyes.

**Crowpaw**- Tuxedo she-cat with light blue eyes.

**Mosspaw**- Golden brown tabby tom with green eyes.

**Oakpaw**- Brown-and-white tabby tom with brown eyes.

**Queens:**

**Russettail**- Ginger she-cat with gray eyes. (Mate to Duskstar. Mother to Hailkit and Smokekit.)

**Pinefur**- Brown she-cat with green eyes. (Mate to Rippleclaw. Mother to Cinderkit, Dapplekit, and Flamekit.)

**Owlwhisker**- Calico she-cat with amber eyes. (Mate to Brackenstripe. Mother to Gorsekit and Swiftkit.)

**Elders:**

**Eaglewing**- Dark brown tom with white paws. Has blue eyes.

**Dewfrost**- White-and-gray she-cat with yellow eyes.

**Jaywing**- Small dusky brown she-cat with green eyes.

* * *

**Cats Outside the Clans**

**Zen**- Mysterious black tom with odd swirly gray markings along his flanks. Also has gray markings beside his red eyes.

**Jiro**- Dark gray tabby tom with light gray paws. Has dark blue eyes. Now deceased, Jiro was the leader of the rogues that terrorized the two Clans.

**Nova**- Sleek jet-black she-cat with piercing light gray eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Sylan**- Reddish-brown tom with a bushy tail. Has amber eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Reima**- Tan she-cat with white paws. Has green eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Taho**- Battle-scarred dark brown tabby tom. Has blue eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Jet**- Skinny ginger-and-white she-cat with silver eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Mystic**- Black she-cat with white paws. Has hazel eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Jester**- Cream furred tom with violet eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.

**Diesel**- White tom with dark gray front paws. Has brown eyes. Former member of Jiro's gang.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Sounds and yowls of screeching cats shook through the dark forest. Birds flew from the trees while small rodents scurried, terrified by the horrendous sounds of battle. Crashes through thick leaf-fall brambles, followed by the tired thudding of paws, were a sure sign that the battle was almost over. Looming over the moonlit clearing, crimson droplets bathing the forest floor, a shadow watched the fighting cats. His dark blue eyes sparked with menace, teeth bared in a smirk as he watched two of his subordinates corner a tom by a tree.

"How does it feel, Nightstar?" the tom spoke, his voice filled with malice. "After all, your brave friend fought so well...before he _died_."

The last word was hissed out in amusement, Nightstar snarling at him. The moon shifted from behind the clouds, revealing the tom's dark gray tabby fur—his light gray paws strained red from the blood of Nightstar's good friend. A scar lined the tip of his nose, while another laced his right flank. The DarkClan leader could do nothing but stare at the tom with pure hatred, his blue eyes dark with anger. One of the tom's subordinates—a sleek, jet-black she-cat—shoved Nightstar against the tree, her piercing light gray eyes shining with disgust. The other subordinate—a battle-scarred brown tabby tom—watched with amusement, his blue eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Well?" the tom taunted. "Do you have any last words? Or shall I just have them kill you now?"

The large black tom glared defiantly. "You sure like to talk, don't you...Jiro?" Nightstar hissed. "After all, that's the only thing you have going for you."

The she-cat slashed Nightstar's face, slamming him to the ground. "Impudent fool!" she hissed, Nightstar letting out a grunt as he was forced to the ground.

"Nova," Jiro growled. "Let him speak, I'm...curious to what he has to say."

Nightstar grimaced, lifting his head to look at Jiro. "Don't think this battle is over, Jiro!" he hissed. "Even if I die, my Clan...no, _both_ Clans will go on!"

Jiro watched through narrowed eyes, as Nightstar lifted his head to address the cats from both DarkClan and LightClan. Each cat in the clearing had either been severely wounded, or was being pinned down by one of Jiro's cats. Brightstar, LightClan's leader, watched with regret at not being able to help her old friend.

"Warriors, watch closely! You're about to see how a _real_ warrior dies!" Nightstar yowled, suddenly springing to his paws and slamming Nova aside. He charged for the rogue that had his deputy—Duskclaw—and bit the rogue's scruff, throwing him aside. Duskclaw watched, his yellow eyes wide with horror.

"Nightstar!" Duskclaw yowled. "Don't do this, it's suicide!" the large silver-and-white tabby pleaded.

Nightstar growled. "Quiet, you fool!" he hissed. "This is my resolve...I refuse to fail as a leader any longer! I can only hope my death won't end in vain," he hissed, leaping towards Jiro.

"Nightstar, no!" Duskclaw yelled, struggling to get to his paws. Brightstar looked away, as Jiro leaped towards the DarkClan leader and met him halfway, slicing Nightstar's side. The black tom yowled in pain, as he fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood soaked the ground around Nightstar as he gasped for air. Jiro stood over him, pressing his paw tightly on Nightstar's throat.

"Foolish old cat," he meowed coldly. "Giving up your last life to protect a bunch of cats who will _never_ be able to avenge you. Smart move," he smirked, dark blue eyes glistening with malice. He pushed his paw down on Nighstar's throat harder. "Now," he started. "If you plead for your life, I will make your death quick and painless."

The black tom's determined blue gaze looked up to meet Jiro's cold gaze. "Never, you fox-heart. I will _never _plead for my life to a cat as worthless as _you_."

Jiro's eyes darkened with an unreadable expression, before hissing: "Very well, then you can die a painful death that not even your precious _StarClan_ can protect you from!"

Duskclaw watched with pure horror in his yellow eyes, as he struggled to stand, blood welling out of the wound on his chest. "_Nightstar!_" he yowled, as Jiro finished the DarkClan leader off.

Licking his muzzle clean, Jiro kicked Nightstar's lifeless body away from him. "How boring," he sighed. "I hate righteous old fools, they're never any fun."

Eyes shaking with sadness and horror, Duskclaw stared at his leader's corpse. "Nightstar..." he growled and snarled at Jiro. "Hey, mange-pelt!" he hissed.

Jiro sighed, annoyed. "Oh great, here comes the weird insults," he rolled his eyes, looking at Duskclaw. "Honestly, don't you fools use _any_ normal insults?"

Snarling, Duskclaw flailed a bit, managing to get to his paws and heave his chest off the ground. "Coward! Fight me! I'll kill you!" he hissed.

Smirking, Jiro walked over, shoving Duskclaw down with his paw. He scoffed and walked away, flicking his tail over the deputy's nose. "Please, you can't even stand. Killing you would be as much fun as killing a kit," he looked back at him. "And trust me...I would know," he laughed darkly.

Duskclaw hissed, muttering out a profanity he heard one of the rogues use, before shifting his gaze towards the trees. Jiro narrowed his eyes, quickly following his gaze. Among the trees, a shadow figure stood, it's red eyes shining in the darkness. Jiro growled and faced it, his dark blue eyes locking in with the mysterious cat's red eyes.

"Who are you? Are you bold enough to challenge me?" he called to the cat. "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it!" he challenged, unsheathing his claws.

In a flash, the shadow vanished, Jiro's eyes widening as he sensed a cat behind him. Quickly spinning around, the shadow slashed at him, it's red eyes narrowed. Before he could react, Jiro took a fatal blow from the mysterious cat's claws, falling to the ground. Everyone looked on in horror, as the shadow glanced back at them, before disappearing into the darkness.

"Jiro!" Nova yelled, rushing towards her leader. She gazed down in horror as she looked at the lifeless body of the powerful rogue. "J-Jiro...h-he's..._dead!_" She yowled.

The rogues looked at each other in disbelief and utter horror, before rushing out of the clearing in terror. Even Nova, Jiro's most loyal subordinate, ran away. Duskclaw stared at the darkness where the shadow came from.

_Could that have been...StarClan? No, StarClan wouldn't look so evil...what _was _that!?_

The thudding of paws could be heard, some cats from both Clans appearing in the clearing. After some mourning over Nightstar's death from both Clans, each cat returned to their camp, leaving Jiro's body behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, moments after Jiro's death, a LightClan queen finally finished kitting. Suckling against her warm and soft belly, three little kits wriggled together. The queen—a ginger tabby by the name of Sedgewing—watched them proudly. Snowfeather, LightClan's medicine cat, purred with satisfaction.

"Have you thought of names yet, Sedgewing?" the small gray-and-white she-cat asked.

Sedgewing purred, licking the dark ginger kit, the only she-cat. "Yes, I have," she mewed. "The she-cat I've named Rowankit. As for this tom," she nosed the orange tabby. "I've decided on Sunkit."

Snowfeather nodded in approval. "Very nice names," she purred. "However, what about the third one?" she asked, her gaze darkening a bit as she looked at the last kit, a tom.

Sedgewing gave a curious look, before getting a closer look at her other son. She gasped a bit, realizing the striking resemblance to Jiro. "H-He...How!?" she yowled.

Quickly rushing to her side, shushing Sedgewing while comforting her, Snowfeather shook her head. "I have no idea," she answered. "But this kit is of no relation to that monster. Close resemblance or not."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sedgewing nodded. "Yes, you are right. There is no way," she mewed, staring at her son. "I think...I think I'll call him, Shadekit."


	3. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Flashes of various pelt colors skimmed across the forest floor, leaves and dirt swirling into the air. A dark flash of tabby fur darted up a tree, two more following suit. Down below, three more silhouettes wove in and out of the bushes—perfectly in sync. A dark gray tabby pelt flashed before the three cats below, knocking one to their side. The unfortunate cat was a black tom, no older then ten moons. He looked up, meeting the somewhat menacing dark blue gaze of his attacker.

"Shadepaw!" a gruff voice sounded behind the dark gray tabby apprentice. "Good job."

Shadepaw turned around, his eyes shining with pride. He glanced back at his denmate and chuckled. "Sorry for the scare there, Tinderpaw," he mewed. "I tend to get caught up in my training."

The black tom snorted, getting up. "You don't say?" he muttered.

"Oh, Tinderpaw, lighten up. After all, it's all in good sport," said Tinderpaw's mentor, Lostwhisker.

"Good sport for who? Me or Shadepaw?" he growled. "I think that furball wretched my shoulder."

Shadepaw rolled his eyes. "I didn't tackle you _that_ hard."

Glancing at his mentor, Dustfall, Shadepaw raised his head proudly. The dark gray warrior sighed, the light from the trees revealing the darker gray flecks along his back.

"Even so," Dustfall began. "Remember that this is just training and nothing more. You tend to get too carried away, Shadepaw."

The LightClan apprentice sighed, looking down at his light gray paws. For a moment, Shadepaw thought he saw a tinge of red stained against his paws, only to shake his head and look back up. Rowanpaw had joined them, her dark ginger fur seeming to be bursting with energy, her white chest tuft barely visible. Joining in beside her, Raincloud purred with amusement. Shadepaw could feel his father's warm gaze on him, before nudging Rowanpaw playfully.

"Just be glad Rowanpaw here manages to contain her excitement," he joked, Rowanpaw's fur fluffing up a bit.

"Hey!" she purred, nudging their father back. Lostwhisker and Dustfall watched them, laughing a bit as the two carried on in their playful banter.

Shadepaw however, was off in his own thoughts. Staring into the treetops, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched—that someone or some_thing—_was waiting to get him alone.

_How long do you plan on hiding? I'm getting bored~!_

A voice rang in Shadepaw's ears, making him jump and quickly direct his gaze into the trees. Shadepaw shuddered, realizing he wasn't just being paranoid—someone _was_ watching him! A set of red eyes gleamed in the darkness of the forest, quickly vanishing as Shadepaw took off in their direction. Ignoring the calls of his Clanmates, the young tom burst through the forest, bearing the pain of burs and thorns latching onto his pelt. He skid to a halt as he reached the end of LightClan territory, the river gurgling just a few feet ahead.

_I'm at the clearing the leads to the border between our territory and DarkClan's,_ Shadepaw thought, looking around. _Was that cat from DarkClan? Did everyone else see or hear him too?_

_Oh, you came. Heh, how amusing...too bad it's quite too soon to give out introductions. Perhaps we'll meet again soon, 'Shadepaw'._

Growling at the mocking tone used to say his name, Shadepaw spotted the red eyes peering from the trees across the river. He snarled and started to make a running jump towards DarkClan's territory, before feeling something hard slam him towards the ground. With a loudgrunt, he glared up at the angry scowl of his mentor.

"Mouse-brain!" Dustfall spat, pinning him down. "What in the name of StarClan were you thinking!? You know the warrior code forbids trespassing on another Clan's territory!" he scolded.

Raincloud nodded, approaching them. "That's right," he said. "If a DarkClan patrol saw you, you'd be shredded in a heartbeat!"

Shadepaw sighed, shoving Dustfall off of him. "Yes, yes, I know," he muttered indignantly. "I just don't get what the big deal is, seeing how everyone always talks about how both our Clans fought against that band of rogues. Wouldn't _that_ be against the warrior code?" he argued.

"That's quite some nerve your son has there, Raincloud," Lostwhisker commented, Rowanpaw and Tinderpaw exchanging shocked glances.

Growling, Dustfall cuffed Shadepaw over the ears. "That is an entirely different case! Those rogues could barely be defeated with _both_ Clans, let alone just _one!_" he snarled. "We lost a lot of cats during those times, including DarkClan's late leader, Nightstar. It would be best you didn't forget your place, _apprentice._"

With that said, Dustfall turned and stormed off, tail twitching angrily. Raincloud sighed, shaking his head. Shadepaw scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Geez, who put thorns in his pelt?" he mumbled.

Exchanging a look with Raincloud, Lostwhisker guided Tinderpaw and Rowanpaw back to camp, leaving Shadepaw and his father alone. Raincloud touched his nose to Shadepaw's shoulder, before walking towards the other side of the clearing. "Come," was all he said.

Sighing inwardly, Shadepaw obeyed, padding after his father. The two cats walked in silence for a bit, before the reached another clearing in the heart of both Clan territories. The clearing had an ominous feel to it, a large rock looming above them, shading almost half the forest floor. Shadepaw recognized this clearing, as this is where their Clan had peaceful meetings with DarkClan every full moon. Although he had only been to one gathering, Shadepaw remembered almost every detail of the area—as if he had been here numerous times before.

Watching as his father closed his eyes, feeling the cool green-leaf air blow against his fur, he sighed.

"Why did you bring me here?" Shadepaw asked, sounding more demanding then curious.

Opening his eyes, Raincloud's eyes didn't leave the rock. "This place, is more then just our Clan's meeting grounds. This place...holds a dreadful and dark past for our Clans, even the two that were lost."

_Right, I almost forgot. There were two other Clans—GaleClan and RainClan—that were wiped out by those rogues,_ Shadepaw thought, remembering the stories he heard from the Clan elders. He listened as Raincloud went on:

"To think one cat could hold so much power, it was if all the power of the Dark Forest resided in him. Each Clan had to suffer and watch as their friends...no, family, be slain before their very eyes. GaleClan's leader, Talonstar, was forced to submit when that monster threatened his kits," Raincloud closed his eyes. "I was only an apprentice then, but I remember how he pleaded for his life and the life of his kits. Jiro didn't care however, and killed them all before our very eyes. The cats of GaleClan were furious, and began to attack recklessly in retaliation, only to be slain one by one by Jiro's rogues. Not long after, Jiro planned an ambush on RainClan's camp during the night—killing not only Breezestar, but every cat within the Clan."

Shadepaw watched and listened attentively, as Raincloud dug his claws in the ground—a sure sign that reliving these memories was painful for him. After a moment, he continued on:

"There was nothing any of us could do. When we got wind of the attack by an apprentice who managed to escape, RainClan was no more. The only thing we saw and smelled was death, and we spent the entire night not only burying those lost, but mourning as well. Both GaleClan and RainClan were gone, and we realized that soon, we would be too if nothing was done. Nightstar, DarkClan's leader at the time, was determined to put an end to it all. He had a strong sense of pride and loyalty to his Clan, which ended in his death. When we fought the final battle here, not even Brightstar was able to save Nightstar from his gruesome death. In the end, Nightstar gave his final life for his Clan, as any leader should. However, he didn't even manage to touch Jiro. What or who really killed Jiro, no one really knows. Even if he was slain before our very eyes, no one would be able to tell you what that _thing_ was. All we know is that whoever it was, is our Clan's savior."

"Our Clan's savior, huh?" Shadepaw echoed. He met Raincloud's gaze, his dark blue eyes portraying nothing but interest. "Why exactly are you telling me all of this anyways?"

Raincloud sighed. "Well, I think it is best you think of that answer for yourself. After all, when you get back to camp, you owe Dustfall a sincere apology," he answered, turning to head back. "Might as well have an idea as to why, right?"

Sighing and sitting down, Shadepaw shook his head. "Even so, how does that answer my question?" he asked. "If we worked together so closely as comrades, why do we need to go back to being a separate Clan again?"

Glancing over his shoulder, all Raincloud answered with was: "Sometimes, when the only thing you have to move on is by going back to all you've ever known...is the only hope and comfort you've really got to things ever being close to normal again."

With those parting words, Shadepaw watched as Raincloud disappearing into the sea of trees, leaving the young LightClan apprentice to his own thoughts.


	4. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Dusk was setting in, the sky's iridescent hue of colors beginning to darken to a deep blue. Shadepaw walked back towards camp, his head buzzing with a million different thoughts. What bothered the young apprentice the most was the mysteries surrounding the death of Jiro. Every cat who was there claimed that the vicious rogue was killed by a shadow, possibly sent by StarClan. However, Shadepaw didn't believe this. After seeing what he had seen in the forest earlier, there was much more to Jiro's death then StarClan had to answer.

_There was no way that cat I saw was normal, _Shadepaw thought. _It had no scent and it moved way too quickly. If it was StarClan, why would it hide from me?_

"Shadepaw!"

Growling from having his thoughts disturbed, Shadepaw drifted his gaze ahead of him, where the orange tabby fur of his brother was squeezing through their camp's bramble barrier. A strong waft of herbs filled his nose, making Shadepaw wrinkle up his nose.

"Sunpaw," Shadepaw sighed. "What do you want?"

The medicine cat apprentice tilted his head. "I was worried when I saw that you didn't return to camp with Raincloud," he mewed. "Is everything okay?"

_Everything was fine until you came and interrupted my thoughts! _Shadepaw thought irritably. Tail twitching, he gently pushed past his brother. "I'm fine," he muttered.

Sunpaw frowned and quickly darted beside him, before stepping in front of his path. "Shadepaw," he started. "I'm not stupid. Dustfall came back with his fur in a bunch, and Rowanpaw told me Raincloud had taken you off to speak with you."

"Then why did you even bother asking if you knew?" Shadepaw snapped, rolling his eyes. "For saying you aren't stupid, that really doesn't seem smart either."

Sunpaw opened his mouth to say something in response, but the rustling sound of some bushes nearby stopped him. A small gray-and-white she-cat emerged, holding a handful of herbs in her mouth. _Snowfeather. Figures. _Shadepaw snorted and kept walking, Snowfeather's gaze burning into his pelt.

"What's the hurry, Shadepaw?" the LightClan medicine cat inquired. "Is there something we should know about?"

Fur bristling, Shadepaw gritted his teeth. "No," he hissed, storming off into camp. _She's acting like I'm hiding something! Arrogant herb-sniffer!_

Ignoring the greetings from his Clanmates, Shadepaw crept into the apprentices' den—a dip in the ground underneath a large fallen tree—and curled up in his mossy nest. Blocking out the concerned whispers and questions, he shut his eyes tight as darkness engulfed him.

An eerie full moon hung low over the forest clearing, as Shadepaw's gaze watched cats below him fight in a brutal battle. Blood stained his paws and the scent of death and blood mingled in the air, making him shudder with an unknown feeling. The scene suddenly flashed, and his gaze was now on three cats who were speaking to him. Shadepaw couldn't make out the voices, but he could tell they were angry. In another flash, blooded flooded his vision, followed by the heavy thud of a body.

In an instant, he was gazing into the angry, yellow eyes of a cat Shadepaw couldn't quite make out. Fear suddenly overcame him, when the gaze was turned towards the trees. Two menacing red eyes glared at him hungrily from the shadows, challenging...no, _daring_ him to fight. Within a split second, the shadow flung itself at him, slicing his throat open with piercing claws. Horror filled Shadepaw's senses, as he collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood—the shadow letting out a mocking laughter before leaving him to die.

Waking up with a loud gasp, Shadepaw looked around, only seeing the darkness of the apprentices' den around him. Quickly looking over himself, he realized that all he just saw was a nightmare. However, Shadepaw couldn't shake the feeling that it was much more then that. Grunting, he heaved his body up out of the nest and crept out of the den. A half-moon hung in the sky, silhouetted behind a couple clouds.

_If I remember right, Snowfeather and Sunpaw are probably heading to meet the other two medicine cats, _Shadepaw thought, looking around at the desolate LightClan camp. He could make out the voices of Tigerfur and Ceaderheart—the two night duty guards—just outside of the camp's bramble entrance. Nearby, Shadepaw caught sight of Brightstar emerging from her den—amber eyes gleaming in the darkness like sparks from a flame. _Brightstar? That's unusual...isn't she usually asleep this time of night?_ Shadepaw wondered, watching as his Clan leader disappeared through the bramble wall behind her den.

Quickly following after her, Shadepaw carefully kept his distance. Squeezing through the wall after Brightstar, he could see the old LightClan leader sitting in the middle of a small clearing, her head low. Noticing the old dirt mounds around the clearing, Shadepaw realized with a sharp pang of guilt, that this was the place his Clan buried their deceased.

"Shadepaw," Brightstar murmured, opening her eyes to look at him. "What is troubling you?"

Fur bristled at being caught, Shadepaw heaved a sigh and walked over to join his leader. Sitting beside her, he met her tired gaze. "Nothing really," he answered. "I just had this weird dream."

"Weird dream?" Brightstar questioned.

Shadepaw nodded, looking down. "Yes," he said. "I can't explain it, but it felt so real...like it actually happened."

Nodding, the old she-cat looked up. "They say that some dreams can be remnants of our past, whether it be from our life now or our life previously."

"But what if those memories are horrible?" Shadepaw asked.

"Our past does not define who were are now," Brightstar answered. "It is what we are doing now to better ourselves, that makes us who we truly are."

Confused, Shadepaw tilted his head. "Even if we may have done something that was really wrong?"

Purring, Brightstar looked at him, her eyes glowing a bit. "Rather insightful tonight aren't you, Shadepaw?" she laughed gently. "Your future is bright young apprentice, I do not think you have anything to worry about."

Watching the stars in silver pelt glimmer in the night sky, Shadepaw narrowed his eyes. "Nothing to worry about, huh?" he echoed.

_Then why do I feel like I should worry?_


	5. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Dark shadows silhouetted across the clearing, while piercing red eyes looked on from all sides. Shadepaw could feel his paws racing along the hard forest floor, trying to desperately escape something. However, no matter how fast he ran, he could feel the enemy nipping at his heels. Crashing to the ground, he looked up in horror as a dark shadow loomed over him, crashing down onto him—smothering his yowls for help.

"_Shadepaw!_"

Shadepaw grunted and covered his ears, trying to block out his sister's annoying yowls. After a minute or two of constant prodding by her paws, Shadepaw sat up with a growl. Rowanpaw sighed, shaking her head.

"Shadepaw! You were thrashing in your sleep like a fish out of water!" she growled. Her gaze softened after a moment. "Are you okay?"

Grunting, Shadepaw flicked his tail so it sat in front of him. "I'm fine. Just a dream," he muttered groggily.

Tilting her head curiously, Rowanpaw got to her paws and stretched. "Well," she began. "It's morning anyways. Let's get going before we get stuck caring for the elders!"

_Good point_, Shadepaw thought. Standing, he hurried out after his sister, looking around at the LightClan camp.

Early morning light was filtering through the treetops, the light green leaves wet with dew. Swiftwind—one the elders—was gently being guided by his old-time mate, Mistystorm. The old reddish-brown tom had gone blind moons ago, having Mistystorm lead him wherever he needed to go. Not far from the elder's den, Shadepaw spotted Thornpelt—the LightClan deputy—sharing tongues with his mate, Willowcloud. Meanwhile, he could hear Tigerfur and Ceaderheart coming into camp, exhausted from their all night guard. Squeaking from the nursery, Shadepaw turned and watched as Brackenkit and Jaykit scurried outside.

As far as Shadepaw could tell, LightClan was as normal and dull as ever. He sighed, wishing for some sort of excitement, but all he got was the routine chattering of his Clanmates. Grumbling in boredom, Shadepaw looked around camp for something to do.

"Hey you!" a friendly, but sharp voice called to him.

Blinking, Shadepaw looked over his shoulder to see Goldenblaze, laying in her favorite sunning spot. He sighed with a smile and turned to walk towards her.

"Don't apprentice's these days do _anything_?" the old golden tabby she-cat teased, whisking her tail beside her as Shadepaw sat.

"Yeah, when we have _something_ to do," Shadepaw half-joked. _There's never anything to do around here!_

Goldenblaze purred, sitting up. "Nonsense! There's plenty to be done around here! Like," she tipped her head towards the fresh-kill pile, "Catching your cranky old grandmother a fresh thrush."

Shadepaw's whiskers twitched in amusement. "I take it that you're hinting to me to go hunting for a thrush?"

Purring, Goldenblaze laughed. "Well, you _did_ want something to do right?"

Sighing in defeat, Shadepaw stood with a playful snort. "Fine. I'll try to catch one, but no promises. An old cat like you know how hard they are to catch," he teased.

"Hey! I'm not old!" Goldenblaze defended, puffing out her tail. "I'm just perfectly sharpened with wisdom."

Rolling his eyes, Shadepaw started to pad off. "Well, I'll go catch one then!" he called over his shoulder, pushing through the camp entrance.

* * *

Sniffing the air, Shadepaw growled as he prowled through the forest. So far, he had only managed to catch a few mice and a vole. Despite his best efforts, he had yet to come across any sign of thrush. Not willing to accept his defeat and take his kill back to camp, Shadepaw pushed deeper into the trees, carefully scanning for the small brown bird.

Tree after tree, bush after bush, the challenged was seeming more like a pathetic attempt. _Not a single thrush!_ Shadepaw growled irritably. Sniffing the scents that marked the forest floor, Shadepaw made one last attempt to find the mangy bird before returning to camp.

_At last!_ Shadepaw thought gratefully, scenting the small bird not far from where he was. Lowering his body and slowing his pace, he crept along the brambles, searching for the bird. Not far ahead, the little brown bird was pecking at the dirt, unaware of his presence. _Gotcha._

Shadepaw quickly pounced, catching the bird off guard as he quickly bit into its neck. Satisfied at his triumph, Shadepaw picked the thrush up and quickly padded back to where he had stored his previous kills. As he dug up the prey he collected, he felt the uneasy feeling of being watched overcome him. Tensing, he hurried and gathered all the prey he could in his mouth.

Quickly turning and heading back towards camp, Shadepaw could feel his heart racing. _What is this feeling? Why do I keep feeling this?_ Before he knew it, he was back in camp, his fur bristled as if he had just seen a badger. Unsettled by his appearance, Sedgewing approached him from outside the warriors' den, concern in her gaze.

"Shadepaw? Are you okay?" she asked nervously.

Shadepaw could barely make out her words, everything seeming to go mute. He could feel his legs become shaky, before falling onto the ground, his gaze fading to black.


	6. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

An eerie coldness crept over Shadepaw as he walked, yowls of distant animals sounding all around him. Creeping through a narrow path, two rows dead trees loomed along each side, almost as if they were preying on him. Heavy fog hung low on the forest floor, adding to the dense and unnatural feeling atmosphere of the forest. Shadepaw flattened his ears, unsure of where he was at.

_Welcome._

_Yes, welcome._

Whispers of shady voices breathed into Shadepaw's ears, seeming to mock him each time he turned to look. Fur bristling, Shadepaw quickened his pace, racing among the seemingly never-ending trail. Feeling the unease of being chased creeping behind him, the young LightClan apprentice veered off the trail and down a muddy slope. With a yowl of surprise, he tumbled down the slope and into a shallow creek. Shakily sitting up, Shadepaw looked into the shallow water, the murkiness unsettling him even further.

Quickly getting to his paws, he walked back onto the dirt, shaking his pelt dry. _Where am I? I don't recognize this place at all_, Shadepaw thought nervously. _And, I thought I made it back to camp? _Deciding it was best to move on, the young tom quickly ran alongside the creek, hoping for any signs of life. Sniffing the air for any familiar scents, Shadepaw lifted his nose to take in the air around him. To his surprise, the only smells were of swamp...and death. Fur rising along his spine, the apprentice quickly ran forward. _I don't like this place. Something is definitely not right_, Shadepaw thought anxiously, suddenly feeling the ground disappear from under him.

Yowling in terror, he swiped his paws for any sort of ledge. Catching his claws into the side of a dead tree, he looked down hesitantly. Tensing, he caught the sight below him with horror-stricken eyes. Below, was a river, as red as blood. Shadepaw had realized he'd fallen off a cliff to a ravine, and was lucky enough to cling to a dead tree on the side. Using all the strength he had, he slowly pulled himself onto the rotten tree trunk, breathing heavily.

"Having trouble?" a deep voice sounded above him.

Startled, Shadepaw quickly looked up, noticing a pair of red eyes beaming down at him. Hesitantly, he returned the mysterious creature's gaze. "Who are you?"

The creature's eyes narrowed, but it seemed to be mocking him. "Such an impolite little apprentice, aren't you?" he taunted.

Growling, Shadepaw ignored his taunt. "Don't ignore my question! Who are you and where am I at?" he demanded.

"Who am I you ask? I don't know. Who are you?" he questioned.

Shadepaw twitched his tail irritably, flattening his ears. "I asked you first," he snapped.

Laughing, the creature's eyes widened. "Very well. I am a simple being. Some may see me as their conscious, others may see me as the bringer of death. However, I don't see myself as either. But, how I see myself is irrelevant. How others see me is much more interesting."

Shadepaw growled. "Well then, I see you as extremely irritating," he hissed.

"Irritating you say?" the creature purred. "My, that sure is a new one. Shadepaw, was it?"

Tensing, Shadepaw looked at the creature with wide eyes. "How do you know my name? I never said who I was."

Its eyes seeming to smirk, the creature answered back, "I know all and I see all. You are the son of Sedgewing and Raincloud, apprentice to LightClan. I know you fairly well, as much as I know your entire Clan. However, it isn't the right time for you to know all the answers, so it's time to go back home."

"Home? How? Where am I?" Shadepaw questioned frantically, seeing the red eyes fade away. "Hey! Answer me!" he yowled out.

Before any answers could be made, the tree underneath Shadepaw snapped, sending him spiraling down into the river below.

* * *

Thrashing about, Shadepaw shot up with a loud gasp. Staring at him with eyes as wide as an owls, Sunpaw quickly turned his head. "Snowfeather! He's awake!"

Gently pushing Shadepaw down with his paw, Sunpaw dropped some wet moss in front of him. Confused and shaken from the encounter with the creature, Shadepaw shivered, staring at the moss with wide eyes. Frowning, Sunpaw sat next to Shadepaw, curling around him in comfort.

"You must have had some dream," he mewed. "You were moving around a lot. I was getting really worried."

Shadepaw looked at his brother, confusion still clouding his mind. "W-What happened?" he asked.

Sunpaw sighed. "We don't know. You walked into camp with some fresh-kill and suddenly just collapsed. Sedgewing went into a panic and yelled for Snowfeather, so we brought you here into the medicine den. Snowfeather said you had a fever so we quickly tried to cool you down." he explained.

His vision seeming to clear, along with his thoughts, Shadepaw looked around. He blinked, realizing he was in the medicine cat's den, the scents of herbs filling his nose. Looking down, he noticed he was in one of the spare nests Snowfeather used for her patients, the nest seeming to be a bit disorganized.

"Shadepaw?" Sunpaw mewed, snapping him back to his brother.

Shadepaw shook his head. "I-I see," he sighed. "How long was I asleep?"

Sunpaw tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, for at least a day. It's nearly sun-high now," he replied. "Though, it'd be best you stayed in here until tomorrow.

Opening his mouth to protest, Shadepaw was quickly cut off by Snowfeather's small gray-and-white figure appearing through the den's entrance. Pawing through some herbs, Snowfeather kept her back to them. Shadepaw grunted. _Arrogant she-cat_.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked, her back still towards them.

Shadepaw grunted. "Better...I guess," he muttered indignantly. _I'd be even better if I didn't have to be in here!_

Snowfeather gave a nod of approval, before turning to face them, a small bundle of herbs in her mouth. She walked over, sitting the herbs in front of him. "Eat these. It's poppy seeds to help you rest and some lavender to make sure the fever doesn't come back," she stated.

Sniffing the herbs, Shadepaw grimaced. "I feel fine, really," he said.

Flicking her tail across his nose, Snowfeather pushed the herbs closer. "I'm not asking you to eat them, I'm _telling_ you," she said sternly.

Holding back a growl, Shadepaw leaned forward and swallowed the poppy seeds. Reaching one of his forepaws forward, he winced at a sharp pain. Snowfeather blinked, grabbing his paw in hers and giving it a look.

"Seems like you wrenched a claw or two. Pretty swollen actually," she observed. "When on earth did you do this?" she asked.

Yanking his paw back with a slight wince, Shadepaw sighed. "How am I supposed to know? _You're_ the medicine cat," he muttered, chewing up the lavender with a grimace.

Narrowing her eyes, Snowfeather turned and dug through her supplies again, Sunpaw watching her curiously. "Sunpaw," she mewed suddenly.

Sunpaw blinked, standing. "Yes, Snowfeather?"

Snowfeather looked at him. "Do you think you can go check on Willowcloud and the kits? I heard a bit of sniffling from Owlkit the other day and I wanted to be sure if he was well," she mewed.

With a nod, Sunpaw started to head out. "Okay! Do you want me to check to see if Swiftwind's cough went away too?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be a good idea," Snowfeather answered, digging through her supplies again.

Sunpaw nodded and quickly ran out of the den, leaving Shadepaw alone with Snowfeather. Watching the LightClan medicine cat through narrowed eyes, Shadepaw couldn't help but wonder if she sent Sunpaw out for a reason. _She knows something. I wonder if she suspects my wrenched claw? _Shadepaw looked at his paw curiously, his fur bristling just a little. _I must have wrenched it on that tree when I fell. But, wasn't that just a bad dream? There's no way I could have been there without anyone noticing..._

Suddenly feeling Snowfeather's paws grip his paw, Shadepaw jumped with a start. Snowfeather sighed. "Hold still. It's only some comfrey. It will help with the wrenched claw," she said, spitting the poultice onto his paw. "You'll thank me later when your paw doesn't swell to the size of a fox."

Grimacing, Shadepaw watched as Snowfeather mixed the poultice in. Sitting his paw down, she hooked some marigold on her claw and sat it in front of him.

"Here, eat this. It will stop any infection that might follow. Sunpaw may have already told you, but you will stay in your nest until tomorrow," she said, curling her tail neatly over her paws.

Sighing, Shadepaw shook his head and laid down. "That's fine," he grumbled.

Standing, Snowfeather turned to walk out of the den. Glancing back at him, she murmured something quietly under her breath before disappearing outside. Shadepaw watched her leave, his mind starting to cloud with the haze of sleep.

Was it just him, or did Snowfeather whisper something along the lines of, "Stay strong, little warrior"?


	7. Chapter Five

**A/N: **Woohoo! Chapter five is finally done! c:

So, tell me, what do you guys think so far? I would love any sort of feedback. Criticism is also welcome, as long as it's constructive and not insulting. So, tell me! c:

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Early morning light filtered into the den from the entrance, waking Shadepaw from his sleep. Yawning, he blinked and stood with a stretch. Quickly shuffling into the den, Sunpaw sniffed around the herb supplies, his mind completely occupied by his current task. Shadepaw watched his littermate curiously, his orange pelt shining in the light from the entrance.

Purring in satisfaction, Sunpaw wrapped some herbs up in a leaf, quickly rushing out. Shaking his head, Shadepaw followed him out, taking in the brisk morning air.

"Shadepaw!"

Ear twitching, Shadepaw turned and met his mother's gaze, as she rushed over to greet him. Looking him over and sniffing him as if he was still a kit, Sedgewing sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness you're okay," she said. "You had me so worried!"

Sighing with a smile, Shadepaw gently pulled away from his mother. "I know, I'm sorry," he mewed. "I'm not really sure what happened, but I'm feeling better now. Snowfeather said I would be able to return to my training today."

Eyes lighting up, Sedgewing purred. "That's great! Rowanpaw will be excited to be able to train with you again."

Shadepaw rolled his eyes. "It's only been a couple days. I don't see why she would miss training with me," he sighed.

Sedgewing laughed a little, but just nuzzled him. "Maybe. I guess she just misses training alongside her brother, since her other one chose a different path."

"Right," Shadepaw smiled. "Well, I'd better find Dustfall. I don't want to get too behind in my training," he said, beginning to rush towards the warriors' den.

"Be careful!" Sedgewing called after him, before turning to share tongues with the elders.

As Shadepaw approached the den, a rustle came from the thorn entrance tunnel, Ceaderheart and Mudpaw padding into camp. Ceaderheart's golden tabby pelt was ruffled by some thorns, and Shadepaw couldn't help but laugh a bit. _Mudpaw always seems to get her old mentor into trouble!_

Flicking her ears, Ceaderheart shot an angry look towards Shadepaw, before shuffling off towards Snowfeather's den. Mudpaw sighed, seeming defeated. Feeling a bit sympathetic towards his denmate, Shadepaw walked up to her.

"Don't feel so bad," he said. "Ceaderheart always has a thorn in her rear, you know that."

The dark brown apprentice sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah, because _I'm_ her apprentice."

Rolling his eyes, Shadepaw snorted. "As if! I remember when Rowanpaw and I were kits, she nearly clawed our ears off for stepping on her tail!" he shrugged. "She's just a grumpy old badger. That's all."

"That's because you two were always getting into trouble," she purred. "And if it wasn't you and Rowanpaw, you'd get poor Nightkit into your little schemes."

Shadepaw laughed. "Ha! _Poor Nightkit_? You've got to be kidding me! He's barely two moons younger than me! I'm sure when he's apprenticed, he'll get into trouble without me."

"I don't believe that," Mudpaw teased. "You'll scheme with him, I'm sure."

"What's this about schemes?" Goldenblaze croaked, standing behind Shadepaw.

Mudpaw jumped, shaking her head. "N-No! I'm not scheming anything!" she spit out nervously.

The old tabby snorted, flicking her tail over Shadepaw's head. "I know that!" she snapped. "You don't have the nerve to get under your Clanmates fur. _This_ one however..."

Shadepaw moved away, rolling his eyes. "Me? No way," he mewed with sarcasm.

"Better watch your tongue apprentice," Goldenblaze growled, swatting at his ears. "I may be old, but I'm no push-over. Especially with fur-balls like you!"

Jumping back, Shadepaw rolled his eyes with a mocking smile. "Oh no, what shall I ever do? This old badger is talking nonsense!"

Mudpaw laughed, quickly silenced by a sharp look from the elder. Goldenblaze gave a smirk, leaping forward. Shadepaw quickly jumped to the side, but was suddenly knocked out from under his feet by Goldenblaze. With a yowl of surprise, he tumbled backwards and into the thorn tunnel with a thud.

"That's what happens when you underestimate your elders, apprentice!" Goldenblaze laughed triumphantly.

"Lucky shot," Shadepaw grumbled, stepping out of the thorn bush. He pulled a couple thorns from his pelt, wincing each time he did. _I will admit, Goldenblaze is pretty clever for an elder. Not that I'll ever tell her that!_

Tilting her head, Mudpaw looked at Goldenblaze. "That was impressive! I didn't know you could do that," she mewed, her eyes round in awe.

Goldenblaze snorted. "Please, I _did_ train as a warrior you know. Just because I'm old, it doesn't mean I have lost my skills."

"Or attitude," muttered Shadepaw.

Lashing her tail, Goldenblaze puffed out her chest. "Oh hush! You're just mad that your old grandmother showed you up!"

Pulling another thorn from his pelt, Shadepaw sighed. "Don't you have some sort of gossip to share with your denmates?" he grumbled.

Snorting, Goldenblaze rolled her eyes as she started to walk off. "Apprentices are just no fun these days," she sighed. "See you around, Shadepaw."

Shadepaw flicked his tail, before sitting beside Mudpaw. _I really need to start training again, I'm losing my touch!_

"Shadepaw!" Dustfall called, snapping Shadepaw out of his thoughts.

Springing to his paws, he mewed a brief goodbye to Mudpaw, before dashing off towards the fresh-kill pile. Pacing up to the dark gray warrior, Shadepaw gave a brief nod. Dustfall sat up from his half-eaten vole, and met Shadepaw's gaze.

"I see you are feeling better," he observed. "I can imagine you're just itching to start your training up again."

Eyes sparking with enthusiasm, Shadepaw gave a nod. "Definitely," he admitted. "I was actually looking for you until I ran into Goldenblaze."

Dustfall gave a slight laugh. "Did she give you one of her lectures?"

"Uh, no...not exactly," Shadepaw sighed, shaking his head. "Though, I wish she had done that instead."

Purring with amusement, Dustfall picked his vole up. He gave a flick of his tail, indicating for Shadepaw to follow, and walked over towards the nursery. Sitting outside of the nursery, Whiteflower—Dustfall's mate—watched their two kits play. Shadepaw watched with amusement, as Brackenkit and Jaykit tumbled in the dirt. Dustfall sat the vole down in front of Whiteflower, gently nuzzling her in a greeting.

The white queen purred, looking at the vole. "Ah, my favorite. You saved me some after all, eh?" she teased.

Dustfall smiled, sitting beside her. "Of course, I did promise after all." he mewed.

Noticing their father had approached, the kits quickly sprang up, dashing towards him. Shadepaw gave a purr, seeing the resemblance they both had from their parents. Brackenkit had a light gray pelt with white paws, while his brother—Jaykit—had a blue-gray pelt with a white underbelly.

"Dustfall! Dustfall! Watch!" Brackenkit squeaked, pouncing onto Jaykit.

Jaykit let out a squeal, squirming under his brother's weight. "Get off!" he complained.

Purring, Dustfall walked over, gently nudging Brackenkit off of his littermate. Jaykit huffed, sitting up with a glare at his brother. Brackenkit just rolled his eyes, looking at Dustfall innocently.

"What? I was only playing," he said.

"Yeah, right!" Jaykit growled.

Dustfall sighed with a smile, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. That's enough you two," he mewed. "Brackenkit, that was an impressive pounce, but don't tease your brother so much. And Jaykit, are you okay?" he asked.

The little blue-gray tom nodded. "Yeah," he answered.

"Good," Dustfall smiled. He looked over at Whiteflower. "Now, why don't you go and share some of that vole with Whiteflower?" he suggested.

Both of the kits eyes lit up, before rushing over to their mother. Shadepaw gave a slight laugh. "They remind me of when I was in the nursery," he remarked.

Dustfall snorted. "Well, I would hope you remembered!" he said. "You've only been an apprentice for two moons!"

Shadepaw rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I'm sure Darkmist was happy to see us become apprentices."

"That's because you always riled Nightkit up," Dustfall purred. "She would always complain to Whiteflower about it."

Laughing a little, Shadepaw looked at Dustfall thoughtfully. "So, how old are your kits now?" he asked.

Tilting his head in thought, Dustfall paused as he tried to remember. "I suppose they're about four moons now."

Shadepaw smiled. "I see. So that means that Nightkit and Fernkit will be made apprentices any day now," he said.

Dustfall nodded in agreement. "You're right," he mewed. "Brightstar will be apprenticing them soon."

Suddenly, a yowl split the peaceful air, alerting everyone in camp. Shadepaw sprang back, looking over at the camp entrance, to see Raincloud running in—Rowanpaw at his heels. Brightstar emerged from her den, making her way over.

"Raincloud? What's wrong?" she demanded, her voice edged with anxiety.

"There was a scent across our border!" he exclaimed.

Thornpelt's fur bristled. "Has DarkClan already crossed our borders?" he growled.

Rowanpaw shook her head. "No! It wasn't a cat from DarkClan! It was a cat we've never scented before!" she gasped.

Murmurs and gasps of shock filled the camp, everyone seeming to be concerned. Whiteflower wrapped her tail protectively around her kits, while Dustfall went and sat beside her for comfort. Shadepaw glanced over at the medicine cat den, noticing that Snowfeather was sitting back, her gaze dark. Feeling a sense of unease creep over his pelt, Shadepaw stifled a nervous growl. _What's with that look? I always knew that medicine cat was weird!_

Lifting her tail for silence, Brightstar looked at Raincloud and Rowanpaw. "Tell me," she asked. "Did it smell like a rogue?"

Silence swept over the LightClan camp like a blanket of ice, everyone tense and still as they awaited an answer. Finally, Raincloud sighed and shook his head.

"No," he answered, as everyone sighed in relief. "However, this ct could still be a threat. We should send a patrol out to find this intruder."

Nodding in agreement, Brightstar sighed. "You're right. I will address the Clan now," she spoke, turning and jumping up onto the Clan Stone.

Shadepaw watched Brightstar, observing the shape of the Clan Stone. The stone itself was wedged on top of a large fallen oak tree, moss growing around the tree. The tip of the stone jutted out over the camp clearing, giving Brightstar a good view as she addressed the Clan. A dip in the ground underneath the tree provided a small den for Brightstar, while a thin moss wall shrouded the entrance. As Brightstar climbed to the tip, she lifted her head for her voice to be heard.

"LightClan," she addressed. "An intruder has been scented beyond our borders. While it does not carry the scent of DarkClan, we will still take caution in our everyday patrols. I will have two patrols sent out: One to patrol the territory and another to make DarkClan aware as well. For the patrol in the territory, I will have Raincloud lead. Joining him will be Rowanpaw, Thornpelt, Tigerfur, and Furzepaw. As for the patrol to DarkClan, I will only have Snowfeather, Sedgewing, and Shadepaw travel there. I do not want DarkClan to feel threatened by a large group, so this size is perfect. Once you are ready, I want the selected cats to move out immediately. Clan dismissed," she announced, climbing down from the Clan Stone.

Whiskers twitching excitedly, Shadepaw quickly turned and rushed towards the medicine cat den. _Finally, something exciting!_


	8. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Shadepaw paced anxiously at the camp entrance, waiting for Snowfeather to emerge from her den. Sedgewing sat beside Shadepaw patiently, her tail folded neatly over her paws. Growling with frustration, Shadepaw sat down, his tail twitching. With a purr, Sedgewing licked between his ears affectionately.

"Shadepaw," she mewed. "Patience is an important virtue, especially for an apprentice!"

With a grumble, Shadepaw pulled away from his mother. "I know that!" he sighed. "I just want to head out already!"

Whiskers twitching, Sedgewing tilted her head. Lifting her gaze away from him, she watched the clouds float overhead through the trees.

"We're going to visit DarkClan territory, huh?" she murmured. "It has been quite some time since we were last there," she sighed, closing her eyes.

_What is with this sudden rush of nostalgia? All I said was that I wanted to head out!_ Shadepaw thought, a bit irritated by Sedgewing's sudden change in mood.

Shadepaw's thoughts were quickly shifted by the strong scent of herbs. Looking towards the medicine cat den, he watched as Snowfeather emerged, carrying a small wad of herbs in her mouth. Sedgewing tilted her head, staring at the herbs curiously.

"Who are those for?" she asked.

Snowfeather sat the herbs at her paws, her eyes looking clouded with thoughts. Shadepaw stared at the medicine cat through narrowed eyes. _What's with her? Medicine cat or not, she's an odd one!_ He thought, rolling his eyes.

"Snowfeather?" Sedgewing asked again. "Are you okay?"

Blinking, her eyes seeming more clear now, Snowfeather just waved her tail. "I'm taking these to Willowcloud," she answered. "Owlkit's cough is starting to worsen."

Sedgewing frowned. "Owlkit is still sick?"

Sighing, Snowfeather shook her head. "Unfortunately. If his illness gets any worse, I will have to keep him in my den. I don't want any of the other kits getting sick."

Standing, Sedgewing followed after Snowfeather. Shadepaw quickly paced after them, waiting outside of the nursery with Sedgewing, as Snowfeather crept inside. Frowning, Shadepaw listened as Willowcloud tried to soothe the sick kit, his coughs echoing outside the entrance.

"There he goes again," a voice mewed behind him. "I wonder when he'll get better?"

Turning around, Shadepaw met the brown gaze of his old denmate—Nightkit. The young black tom was now almost Shadepaw's size, and his pelt seemed to have shed away the soft "kit fur". Giving a nod in greeting, Nightkit sat beside him.

"So, I bet you're excited to see enemy territory," he mewed casually. "Darkmist says that any day now, Fernkit and I will be apprenticed."

Shadepaw nodded. "Yeah, so I've been hearing," he smiled. "I just hope you can keep up!"

Playfully shoving Shadepaw with his shoulder, Nightkit rolled his eyes. "Don't you get arrogant now!" he teased. "I'm almost as big as you, you know!"

Scoffing, Shadepaw raised his head in an arrogant—but playful—nature. "I'm still one moon of training ahead of you though!"

Nightkit let out a playful growl, swiping at Shadepaw's muzzle with sheathed claws. Shadepaw quickly ducked and used his weight to knock Nightkit over. With a quick yowl of surprise, Nightkit landed on the dirt.

"As I thought," Shadepaw teased. "One paw ahead of you."

Sitting back up, Nightkit shook the dirt from his pelt. "Just you wait and see," he challenged. "I'll get ahead of you!"

Laughing, Shadepaw rolled his eyes and looked back over at the nursery as Snowfeather emerged. Sedgewing stood, her gaze on Snowfeather. With a brief nod, she turned and headed for the entrance, Sedgewing not far behind. Quickly standing to follow, Shadepaw gave a nod to Nightkit.

"See you later!" he called over his shoulder, running after them.

Heading for the entrance, Brightstar awaited them. The old tortoiseshell gave a brief nod. "Tread carefully," she mewed. "Even if we have been at peace for a couple moons now, they're still an enemy Clan. Do not be reckless," she looked at Shadepaw sternly. "And hold your tongue."

Shadepaw felt his fur bristle, but let it lay flat again. He glanced at Sedgewing, who just nuzzled Brightstar affectionately.

"We will," Sedgewing said gently. "We'll be back soon. I promise."

Brightstar dipped her head, waving her tail. "Well, off you go then. We will be awaiting your return."

Smiling, Sedgewing nodded and looked back at Shadepaw. Quickly moving beside her, the trio proceeded through the torn tunnel. Glancing back over his shoulder, Shadepaw noticed that Brightstar was watching them. _Maybe she's worried. After all, Sedgewing is her sister. I guess I'd be worried too if Rowanpaw or Sunpaw were leaving to see DarkClan,_ Shadepaw thought.

Following Snowfeather and Sedgewing, Shadepaw looked around at the trees. The treetops were swaying gently in the breeze, sunlight spotting the forest floor. He flicked his ears, hearing prey scurry underneath the thickets. Holding back the urge to hunt, he kept close to Sedgewing and Snowfeather.

Shadepaw looked around as they approached the clearing from before, the air feeling tense. Staring up at the large and looming boulder, Shadepaw could almost imagine what it must have been like for the leaders. Pain beginning to sear through his head like wildfire, Shadepaw grimaced and lowered his head.

Images of blood spattering the ground and the silhouettes of cats fighting swirled through his mind. He could hear the menacing laughter of a tom—the cold-blooded menace behind it sending chills up Shadepaw's spine. The visions flashed around, until it was set from the view on top of the boulder.

With a loud gasp, the pain went away as quick as it came. Shadepaw looked at the ground, gasping for air—his sight dizzy with confusion. Body trembling, he barely noticed that Sedgewing and Snowfeather were beside him.

"Shadepaw, what's wrong?" Sedgewing asked, her eyes round with worry. "Are you okay?"

Snowfeather gently pushed Sedgewing away, sniffing Shadepaw carefully. She lifted her head, looking puzzled. Shadepaw felt a flash of irritation ignite in his pelt, but was too numb to react.

"He doesn't smell like he's sick or hurt," Snowfeather murmured.

Sedgewing lashed her tail, worry clear in her tone. "Then what should we do? Is he okay to keep going?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Shadepaw managed to spit out. "Give me a moment, I'll be ready to keep going."

Tilting her head, Snowfeather lowered her head to meet his gaze. "Are you sure? What happened?"

Shaking his head, Shadepaw slowly got to his paws. "Yes, I'm fine. We can talk about it later," he muttered indignantly.

Quickly standing beside him, Sedgewing helped Shadepaw get to his paws. Shadepaw could feel his mother's concern and almost felt guilt overwhelm him. _I'm fine, mother. Please don't worry so much,_ Shadepaw thought.

Once he was able to travel again, the trio trekked on, leaving the clearing behind. Shadepaw glanced back, before looking ahead. They walked for a bit, until the sound of bubbling water filled Shadepaw's ears. He blinked as they stopped in front of a shallow part in the river that bordered the two Clans, three large stones connecting to DarkClan territory. Snowfeather looked back at them and then ahead.

"After we cross these stones, we'll be in DarkClan territory," she stated. "Be alert and aware of your surroundings."

Sedgewing gave a brief nod. "Right," she responded.

Carefully crossing the stones, Snowfeather waited on the other side. Sedgewing glanced back at Shadepaw, before following Snowfeather to the other side. With a hesitant grimace, Shadepaw looked down at the water. It was clear and ran alongside the rocks smoothly, drifting further down the border. With caution, Shadepaw stepped onto the first stone and then the second. Gazing up, Shadepaw quickly crossed the last stone and onto DarkClan territory.

A strange and strong scent filled Shadepaw's nose, causing him to cringe. Sedgewing laughed slightly, nudging Shadepaw playfully.

"How do you like the smell of DarkClan?" she teased.

"It smells!" he shook his head. "Why do they smell so bad?"

Snowfeather twitched her whiskers. "Perhaps it's because they hide in the darkness of pine trees all day," she suggested.

Sedgewing purred. "Yes, maybe."

Purring a little himself, Shadepaw looked around curiously. "So this is DarkClan, huh?" he said.

Ahead of them, the trees were tall and wide, their treetops shading the forest almost entirely. Pine needles layered the ground underneath them, making the forest smell strongly of pine. Low branches hung from some of the trees, almost making the forest look heavily guarded. Looking back at them, Snowfeather gave a brisk nod, racing ahead. Sedgewing quickly followed, Shadepaw not too far behind.

Following Snowfeather, Shadepaw looked around cautiously. _I never met a cat from DarkClan, but hopefully we won't have too much of a problem, _Shadepaw thought anxiously. Slowing to a halt, Snowfeather waved her tail. Sedgewing and Shadepaw stopped behind her, watching Snowfeather curiously.

"We aren't far away from the camp," she whispered. "Follow my lead and don't say a word. They'll be on guard enough as it is."

Nodding, Shadepaw and Sedgewing followed Snowfeather deeper into the forest. They came to a stop in front of a large bramble wall, its thorns sticking out like sharp claws. Up ahead, a dark tunnel formed the camp's entrance—similar to the one in LightClan. Padding forward, they made their way through the entrance and into a small hollow. Shadepaw gazed around, noticing their camp wasn't too much different than LightClan. A large bramble bush with leaves carefully woven through the thorns, seemed to make a secure den for the Clan's nursery. Across the hollow, an ancient tree's curved out trunk sheltered the elders. Just beside that, a small cave in the hollow wall sheltered the medicine den, while another cave sheltered the Clan's warriors. Closer to the nursery, another bramble den sheltered the apprentices. At the front of the camp, an outcrop in the hollow provided the perfect place for their leader to stand.

A sudden yowl of alarm sounded in the hollow, making the fur on Shadepaw's spine rise in alarm. Approaching them, a dark red she-cat with blazing ice blue eyes growled. Beside her, a white-and-black tom and a lithe light brown tom eyed them with piercing gazes. Snowfeather lifted her head and met the she-cat's gaze calmly.

"Redfrost," she greeted. "It has been a while."

The she-cat flicked her tail, her eyes locking with Snowfeather's. "Indeed it has, Snowfeather," she agreed. "May I ask why you and your Clanmates are in our territory?"

Shadepaw looked around, noticing the DarkClan cats were watching them cautiously. A ginger queen pulled her kits close, shooing them into the nursery. Not far away, a white apprentice bugged his mentor.

Snowfeather twitched one of her ears, before speaking. "Brightstar wanted us to deliver an urgent message to Duskstar," she answered.

Narrowing her eyes, Redfrost nodded. "I see," she said. "Very well," she turned and looked over at the white-and-black tom. "Rippleclaw, let Duskstar know he has visitors."

Rippleclaw nodded and quickly turned, racing up a steep slope and into a cave above the outcrop. After a moment, a large silver-and-white tabby tom appeared, climbing down the slope. Shadepaw flinched at the sight of a large scar that was struck across the tom's chest. _Whoa! I wouldn't want to fight the cat who did that! _He thought thankfully.

The tom approached them, his yellow gaze meeting each of theirs. He looked at Snowfeather curiously, and waved his tail to dismiss his Clanmates. With a respectful dip of their heads, they backed off and joined their Clanmates.

"Snowfeather," he greeted. "And Sedgewing too," he nodded to Sedgewing. "What brings you here?"

Snowfeather dipped her head respectfully. "Brightstar asked us to bring you a message," she stated.

"Well?"

Nodding, Snowfeather met his gaze. "An intruder was spotted within our territory," she announced. "We didn't recognize the scent as a Clan cat or a rogue. However, Brightstar wanted us to alert you, in case there might be trouble."

Duskstar twitched an ear. "An intruder, huh?" he echoed. "Are you certain it wasn't a rogue?"

"Yes," she answered. "Raincloud is one the best trackers in the Clan. He would know the smell of a rogue."

"Very well," Duskstar nodded. "I'll alert my Clan and make sure to be cautious."

Sedgewing dipped her head. "Tread carefully, Duskstar."

The DarkClan leader nodded. "You as well, Sedgewing."

With a polite wave of her tail, Snowfeather began to turn to leave. "That was all Brightstar asked us to do," she stated. "If it is okay with you, we will head back to our camp."

At that instant, the LightClan trio was flanked by four DarkClan cats. Shadepaw's fur bristled, confused by the sudden hostility. He glanced back at Duskstar, waiting for an answer. Sedgewing rested her tail tip on Shadepaw's shoulder, and gave a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry," she said. "It is a Clan's duty to make sure cats outside of their Clan leave their territory. It has been that way for many, many moons."

"That's right," Rippleclaw agreed, looking at Shadepaw. "Is this one yours, Sedgewing?" he asked.

"Yes," Sedgewing purred proudly. "This is my son, Shadepaw. I have two others back at the camp."

Rippleclaw smiled. "Is that right? He looks like he'll make a fine warrior."

Shadepaw felt a rush of pride at the DarkClan warrior's compliment. _That's right! The best LightClan will ever see!_ _Maybe even DarkClan!_

"Are you ready to go?" another warrior asked—a tan tom with a large brown stripe going down his back.

Snowfeather nodded briskly. "Yes, we're ready, Brackenstripe."

"Good! I'm hungry!" a brisk mew sounded from behind Shadepaw.

Shadepaw looked over his shoulder to see a black she-cat, an apprentice not too much older than himself, looking a bit annoyed.

"Be patient, Blackpaw!" Rippleclaw scolded. "Or I'll make sure Redfrost assigns you to the elder's tomorrow!"

A golden brown tabby tom snickered beside Sedgewing, Blackpaw shooting him a look. Brackenstripe met the young tom's gaze steadily. "Did you want to say anything, Mosspaw?"

Mosspaw tensed, and shook his head. "N-No! Sorry!"

Looking ahead, Shadepaw followed as Rippleclaw led the group outside of the camp. Carefully treading through the pine needles, Shadepaw glanced at the four DarkClan cats. The walk through the forest was quiet, but there was almost little to no tension in the air. By the time they reached the border, Shadepaw almost felt like they four cats were part of his own Clan. With a friendly nod to the cats, Snowfeather crossed the stones, Sedgewing following not too far behind. Glancing back at the DarkClan cats, Shadepaw gave a wave of his tail and followed after his Clanmates.

Watching the DarkClan cats disappear back into their territory, Shadepaw sniffed the air around them. Fur bristling, he quickly turned and bolted back towards the border, ignoring the yells of his mother and Snowfeather. Just as he landed back on DarkClan territory, a heavy blow sent Shadepaw spiraling into the ground—the world fading black.


End file.
